US Blogger Starts Valentine’s Day Fundraiser for South African Community

A group of Christian bloggers is preparing to partner with South African-based organizations as well as churches to raise $150,000 to build a community center in the city of Muabane which would serve the purpose of providing shelter, food, security, as well as employment for orphans and adults.

The woman responsible for this is Lisa Jo-Baker, a Virginia-based blogger and mother who considers herself the storyteller of the initiative and hopes to rally moms with the same heartfelt need to help raise the funds between Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day.

The community center is planned to accommodate 400 people. It includes a kitchen section, vegetable garden, playground and classrooms, with the sole purpose of providing both nourishment and education to local residents in need. In an interview with the Christian Post, Baker explained her objectives and the task at hand saying, “It’s a terrifying amount! There’s no way I could possibly accomplish it myself. But as scared as I get and as much as I wanted to hide from this call, I felt certain that I heard God’s quiet challenge to me and it sounded a lot like Him saying, ‘I dare you to lose face.’ So I’m all in.”

The project is spearheaded by a non-profit, Take Action, in South Africa, alongside the James 1:27 Trust, an organization that is committed to helping orphans and children rendered vulnerable by HIV and AIDs. “They had the permissions from the local tribal council, the local government and the blueprint drawn up. All they lacked were the funds.” said Baker.